Sunday, 21 April, 2013
The BBC Concert Orchestra presented an evening celebrating a 100 years of Bollywood with full orchestra, traditional singers and the award-winning musicians. Bell Percussion were there to provide instruments such as our 5 Octave Majestic Marimba, Hand Siren and Thai Gongs.
Saturday, 13 April, 2013
The London Symphony Orchestra presented an evening of works by Varese, Stravinsky, Adams and the world premiere of Yarde's Modo Hit Blow for Brass and Percussion. Bell Percussion were there to provide a huge list of percussion including glass chimes, almglocken, tabla, anvil effects and steel pans.
Thursday, 28 March, 2013
The Poole Gakuin Wind and String Orchestra have been visiting London and the UK from Osaka, Japan, and Bell Percussion were on hand to provide Drum Kit, Timpani, Tubular Bells, Bass Drum and the ever important - Music Stands.
Friday, 15 March, 2013
The Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra returned to the Barbican for a concert featuring Unsuk Chin's latest work, Joseph Pereira's Concerto for Percussion and Chamber Orchestra and John Adams' Son of Chamber Symphony. Bell Percussion were there to provide Thunder sheet, Bass Drum, 5 octave Marimba and bass extention tubular bells.
Friday, 8 March, 2013
To Celebrate the 60th anniversary of Singin' in the Rain, the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra conducted by Neil Thomson brought the film's iconic soundtrack to life while the re-mastered film was shown on the big screen with the original vocals and dialog intact. Bell Percussion were delighted to supply instruments including Anvil, Bass Bells, Swannee Whistle and Marimba amongst others.
Saturday, 2 March, 2013
The Noel Coward Theatre in London hosted Peter Nichols' Privates on Parade Produced by the Michael Grandage Company. The show was staged for 3 months between December and March 2013 and Bell Percussion were on hand to supply Tubular Bells, Tam-Tams, Woodblocks and Finger Cymbals.
Friday, 15 February, 2013
Pantha Du Prince's latest collaboration with the Bell Laboratory features an almighty instrument weighing in at 3 Tonnes - The Bell Carillon. They were performing at the Queen Elizabeth Hall and Bell Percussion were also there to provide instuments including Paiste Gongs and Marimba.
Tuesday, 12 February, 2013
Indie band Foals recently held a workshop offering 50 music students aged 14-16 from the London Boroughs of Islington and Haringey a once-in-a-lifetime chance to spend an afternoon learning from the band, asking questions, gaining advice, and creating music together. Bell Percussion were there to provide instruments including Congas, Bongos and Cajon.
Friday, 8 February, 2013
Laura Mvula performed her new single and debut TV performance singing her new single Green Garden on the Graham Norton Show on Friday February 8th. Bell Percussion were happy to support her and her backing dancers by providing marching snare drums.
Friday, 1 February, 2013
After what seems like weeks the Schlagerk CP404's are finally back in stock. This is the worlds most popular Cajon and it's easy to see why. They've also produce a Black Edition CP404BLK to give you a choice of finishes. With Free Next Day Delivery and this Cajon in stock now get your order in while you can. Still not sure? Why not come in and try one out for yourself?
Sunday, 27 January, 2013
A full 70-piece orchestra made up of musicians travelling on the London Underground performed at the O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire on 26 January as part of a charity challenge. Shaun Buswell set himself the task of forming an orchestra from passengers on the tube network by 12 December 2012, in order to perform at a top London venue. Bell Percussion were very proud to be a part of this unique event.
Thursday, 24 January, 2013
Bell Percussion were proud to be involved in the process of a brand new and exciting musical project, inspired by patients and staff from the Royal Hopsital for Neuro-Disability. The Orchestra used instruments provided by Bell Percussion including Vibraphone and Crotales.
Saturday, 19 January, 2013
The Virtuosi GUS Band were crowned Butlins Mineworkers Champions for 2013. A win at this contest had eluded the band somewhat over the years, with several podium places and runners up spots.
Saturday, 12 January, 2013
The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra presented an evening to celebrate the 60th Birthday of the American composer John Zorn. The evening featured everything from crotales, thai gongs and temple bowls to whirly tubes and wind wands.
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Tuesday, 25 December, 2012
The Queens Christmas Message 2012 Featured the British Paraorchestra performing the National Anthem on instruments provided by Bell Percussion, including Vibraphone and Bass Drum.
Friday, 14 December, 2012
From Academy Award-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the first of a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien. The film soundtrack - recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra featured an array of instruments including Djun Djun's (African Bass Drums) proudly supplied by Bell Percussion.
Sunday, 2 December, 2012
The London Sinfonietta recently performed at The New Music Show at the Southbank Centre which featured John Cage's Suite for Toy Piano.
Saturday, 24 November, 2012
The hit ITV1 Saturday night dating show Take Me Out recently used one of our High Tension Military Drums as part of the show. The drumming seemed to pay off as Hugh won a date with the lovely Emily!
Saturday, 24 November, 2012
The Gala Concert for the Wimbledon Music Festival featured Australian Percussionist Tim Constable. Tim used instruments from Bell Percussion including Bongos, Roto Toms, China Cymbals and Xylophones.
Friday, 23 November, 2012
At the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival the UK premieres just keep coming. Maja Ratkje was the virtuosic vocalist in her own Concerto for Voice, screeching, beatboxing and whispering over an industrial orchestral background, intermittently punctuated by the sound of a Typewriter.
Friday, 23 November, 2012
Tech Music School held a charity gig in memory of Tech Music School student Alex Thompson who sadly passed away from a brain tumour earlier this year. The night was a huge success and they raised almost £4000 - All proceeds raised from the event will go to Cancer Research and Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust.
Friday, 16 November, 2012
Andrea Bocelli, the biggest selling living artist in classical music, has embarked on an arena tour this November. Bell Percussion provided instruments including Timpani and Clash Cymbals.
Tuesday, 13 November, 2012
The 2012 Classic Rock awards were held at the Camden Roundhouse. The awards were opened with our 80" Tam-tam.
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Tuesday, 30 October, 2012
The Donatella Flick LSO Conducting Competition was founded over twenty years ago in 1990 by Donatella Flick. The Competition’s principal aim is to bridge the gap between conservatoire training and professional life for emerging young conductors. Bell Percussion were delighted to provide instruments such as our 60" Tam-tam and 4 Octave Celeste.
Friday, 26 October, 2012
007, James Bond is back and once again we were asked to provide a range of percussion for the sound track. Large drums including Taiko's, Kodo's and bass drums were the main attractions adding intensity and drama to the actions scenes. See what you can hear and try and guess which drums are where. The Bond franchise has been around for 50 years and having seen the movie, it will be here in another 50.
Tuesday, 25 September, 2012
Classic FM Live returns to the Royal Albert Hall once again for their annual celebration of music. The concert featured Pianist HJ Lim tackling Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2, the Violinist Tasmin Little performing Vaughan Williams The Lark Ascending, and Handel’s Zadok the Priest, accompanied by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and conducted by Douglas Boyd, along with our 36” Taiko, surdo, and Thai gongs.
Wednesday, 19 September, 2012
Everything Everything have released their new single "Cough Cough" from their up and coming new album. The track is the first to be taken from the Manchester electro-poppers' second album "Arc". Bell Percussion were delighted to be involved in the production of their video for the single, directed by lead singer Jonathan Higgs, which sees the band playing our 60" Taiko, 54" Daiko, 42" bass drum and 40" bass drum.
Wednesday, 5 September, 2012
Makoto Nakura is a Marimbist originally from Japan but currently residing in New York. Having studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London, he has performed around the world including venues in Berlin, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul, Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires. Makoto is currently touring the UK with the Kyoto Gewaundhaus Choir along with our 5 octave Majestic Marimba. Makoto has recently performed live on Radio 3 as part of Sean Rafferty's In Tune programme on our instrument and you can listen to it here.
Friday, 24 August, 2012
Bell Percussion were delighted to be able to contribute to the closing ceremony for the 2012 London Olympics. The ceremony celebrated the amazing sporting feats of the athletes who have taken part in the Games with the ultimate aftershow party.
Wednesday, 15 August, 2012
Ligeti’s Poeme Symphonique was composed in 1962 for 100 mechanical metronomes. The piece had a rare performance at this year's BBC Proms.
Thursday, 9 August, 2012
The John Wilson Orchestra returned once again for their annual visit to the BBC Proms, including our 5.5 octave Yamaha Celeste.
Wednesday, 25 July, 2012
The Olympics opening ceremony started with a bang with 1000 drummers entering the arena along with Evelyn Glennie on percussion. Bell Percussion provided everything from bongos, concert toms, bass drums, gong drums ,40” Taiko, Aluphone, Tubular Bells, Timpani, Pedal Glockenspiel and our 4 octave MalletKat.
Wednesday, 18 July, 2012
One of our most recent and exciting development in the hire department is the birth of our one-of-a-kind, one octave bass marimba.
Tuesday, 17 July, 2012
Panda Awareness Week (PAW) launched on the 3rd July with 108 “Pandas” assembling in Trafalgar Square. The performers danced a specially choreographed Thai-Chi inspired routine the first ever Panda Awareness Week, along to the accompaniment of our 40” Taiko and 36” Chinese Flat Gong.
Wednesday, 13 June, 2012
The latest offer in the Alien series – Prometheus – features a soundtrack written by German composer Marc Streitenfeld. The soundtrack to the film was recorded with a 90-piece orchestra at Abbey Road Studios in London, along with our 60” Taiko amongst others.
Wednesday, 13 June, 2012
A relatively simple percussion instrument, the Lagerphone is a variation of the more commonly used Jingling Johnny. Bell Percussion have been commissioned to design and construct a Lagerphone to be used by the Birmingham Royal Ballet.
Tuesday, 5 June, 2012
In a one-off special event, students of the famous Guildhall School of Music & Drama play Tchaikovsky's1812 Overture - they have a special accompaniment in the form of bass drums and tubular bells provided by Bell Percussion and 2 military cannons to be set off during the performance – ear defenders at the ready!
Wednesday, 23 May, 2012
The Queen celebrated 60 years on the throne this month and we were there to lend a helping hand in all the shenanigans. Bell Percussion were there along with the London Symphony Orchestra to provide instruments including Timpani and Marimba.
Wednesday, 16 May, 2012
Bell Percussion went to the Remo Factory in Valencia California, for a total of 4 days including 2 days training on everything Remo from the construction of their drum heads to the way they make drum shells and percussion like nobody else.
The Factory which is about 45 minutes from Hollywood in Valencia is surprisingly large as all Remo drum heads and Remo percussion is made in a purpose built facility, it was an honour to meet Remo Belli himself, at the age of 84 he still turns up every day for work to develop new and exciting world percussion instruments and new concepts in drum head technology.
Apart from the intense and comprehensive training other activities included meeting the amazing drummer Ted Campbell after the taping of The Jay Leno Show, an afternoon on Venice Beach which we were lucky enough to see the solar eclipse which took place and a day at Universal Studios relaxing, this was a whirlwind visit but was worth every moment.
If you have any question about anything Remo related speak to our well trained staff.
Wednesday, 9 May, 2012
A day for bashing and watching people bash all things drum related, ear plugs not included!
Families, students and enthusiasts were invited to join members of the Royal Opera House percussion section and guest artists for a day of workshops, demonstrations, master classes and performances.
Headlining this year was Yamaha Artist and master vibraphonist from the USA Mike Mainieri performing with Wales's own Ian Thomas on kit.
Ash Soan presented a masterclass on studio recording and playing to a click, whilst we were treated to a Drum Circle and Samba get together in the Amphitheatre.
Other highlights on the day included Timpani masterclasses from Marinus Komst (Royal Concertgebouw), Wieland Welzel (Berliner Philharmoniker), Benedict Hoffnung (Academy of Ancient Music) and from the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Russell Jordan, Chris Ridley and Simon Archer.
Tuesday, 10 April, 2012
When it comes to money-raising charity concerts with stellar line-ups, it's hard to beat the annual series of gigs held at the Royal Albert Hall by the Teenage Cancer Trust. The concert series has been running for over 11 years now, and has so far raised more than £14million for the Teenage Cancer Trust. Last month’s shows featured one of the most successful singer-song writers in music history, Paul McCartney and two of this year’s Brit Awards nominated female artists, Jessie J and Florence + the Machine. Also on the bill were Pulp, Catzeyes, Dubstep pioneer Example, Roger Daltrey plus very special guests Paul Weller and Kelly Jones.
The driving force behind the concerts has been The Who frontman Roger Daltrey. “Every year my team and I work really hard to make these concerts for Teenage Cancer Trust something special," he says. "This year is no exception and the line up of artists donating their time and talent is incredible - I hope there's something for everyone."
A very worthy event and one we are very proud suppliers for.
Monday, 9 April, 2012
Musical hit Matilda was the toast of this year's Laurence Olivier Awards, winning seven prizes at a ceremony held at the Royal Opera House in London. They included one for best actress in a musical, presented jointly to the four child stars who share the title role.
Every year another awards ceremony roles around and we're forced to painstainkingly sit through speech after speech after boring speech. This year was no different but we got the added bonus of Tim Minchin's loving tribute to the matilda cast calling them "the little twerps" as he collected the production's best new musical prize.
Other recipients included Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller, jointly crowned best actor for their dual performances in Danny Boyle's staging of Frankenstein.
This year's ceremony also included performances from the casts of Matilda, Singing In The Rain, South Pacific, Ghost, Betty Blue Eyes, The Wizard of Oz. London Road and Shrek the Musical all performing with the BBC Concert Orchestra.
Tuesday, 3 April, 2012
We recently supplied percussion for the grand re-opening of a new chapter in the extraordinary life of the Cutty Sark one of the world’s most famous ships. It signifies the completion of a £50million restoration project after the ship was destroyed by fire in 2007, during a previous refurbishment.
The last surviving tea clipper and the fastest and greatest of her time, she is a living testimony to the bygone, glorious days of sail and, most importantly, a monument to those that lost their lives in the merchant service.
A new orchestral and choral suite was commissioned by the Royal Borough of Greenwich, reflecting the history and heritage of Greenwich, entitled 'Diamond Greenwich', written by local composer Errollyn Wallen MBE.
For the performance, the Symphony Orchestra from Trinity Laban, under the baton of guest conductor Gerry Cornelius, and the choirs from ten schools, was joined by the Trinity Laban World Choir (a community choir of local adult singers) as well as vocal students from Trinity Laban.
Thursday, 22 March, 2012
Despite the abscence of Leonardo DiCaprio due to filming commitments this proved to be a very special, tear jerking event and a complete one-off hosted by Alex Zane.
Titanic may be a film that the whole world has seen many times over, but the sheer scale of the production, the emotional journey and the knowledge that, while the main protagonists may be fictional, the tragedy is all too real.
Host Zane kicked off the event by introducing composer James Horner, who wrote a special piece just for the evening. What followed was a truly moving 20 minutes or so of the hauntingly beautiful film score.
More than 1,000 people died when the Belfast-built Titanic sank after hitting an iceberg on its maiden voyage in 1912.
Star watching on the night included the likes of James Cameron, Kate Winslet and Billy Zane. As a re-launch in 3-D goes this one was quite spectacular.
Monday, 12 March, 2012
Hearing and seeing a full orchestra in a live concert is an experience children will remember forever. Each year the London Philharmonic Orchestra reserves three weekend mornings for music-filled entertainment created for families, presented by Chris Jarvis of CBeebies.
Early birds get to have a go at playing one of the instruments on hand. There’s even the chance to get your face painted and learn circus skills.
It's not too late to get involved as they have one more event left in this season on Sunday 13th May.
Have-a-Go sessions and Human Orchestra workshops run from 10.30am to 2.30pm in Royal Festival Hall foyers.
Click here for more info.
Wednesday, 7 March, 2012
In the run up to the release of his debut album Electronic Earth, which is set for release April 2nd, producer, rapper, and artist extraordinaire Labrinth took to the center stage on the Jonathan Ross show.
Backed by a full orchestra, the London hailing artist performed an incredible rendition of his biggest hit to date – the Tinie Tempah assisted “Earthquake.”
The 'singer donned a sky blue suit for the ITV1 performance.
Labrinth's Syco boss Simon Cowell was also appearing on the show to discuss the latest series of Briain's Got Talent, while other guests included David Walliams, Dara O'Briain and Danny Devito.
Wednesday, 22 February, 2012
Being brought up watching Western films, I’ve always loved the music that defined the genre. There’s a great passion and magnificent imagery that comes with it. Imagine my delight when I first heard the Spaghetti Western Orchestra bringing the music to life.
I love how the band captures the spirit of the music, with great musicianship and then combined with perfect comic timing. A highlight of the performance is the use of hilarious sound effects, including cornflakes, coat hangers and bicycle pumps to recreate music from including The Good, The Bad and the Ugly, Once Upon a Time in The West and many more.
With over 100 instruments in the Orchestra, we were happy to add to their ever expanding set up. With performances throughout the year, check out where the Magnificent Five are riding into a town near you.
Tuesday, 14 February, 2012
Tilted The Origin of Love, the Mika’s new album is said to combine elements of melodic classic pop that defined 70’s and 90’s. Mika has described his approach on the album to be more simplistic approach than his previous albums. However, this wasn’t reflected in the percussion order! Were we sent everything from Djun Djun’s, Conga's to our 4.3 Marimba.
I’m looking forward to hearing the final album and how our instruments contributed to his latest work.
Thursday, 9 February, 2012
Ever wondered what it would sound like if you combined Urban Artists Fazer, Ms Dynamite, Devlin and Skepta with the BBC Symphony Orchestra? If so, then Urban Classic is perfect for you.
Even though the combination of Urban Grime artists and an 85 piece orchestras aren’t your traditional collaboration, it was an amazing success due to the conductor Jules Buckley, who had previously worked on the partnership of Basement Jazz with the Metropole Orchestra.
One highlight was the orchestra imitating a club DJ, when they quickly ‘winded’ the piece to the beginning of the piece, when someone shouted “rewind” halfway through the performance. Something you wouldn’t hear at any other classical performance!
Wednesday, 18 January, 2012
A team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.
One of the most exciting movies coming out this year comes in the shape of Prometheus the Alien Prequel. I never thought Ridley Scott would ever revisit this movie but true to form it looks like he's come up with the goods yet again, re-establishing the Alien franchise once more.
Multiple Taiko's and loads of interesting percussion was used on this one even metal trash bins!
Monday, 9 January, 2012
Featuring a whole host of celebrity contestants from Australian actor and singer Jason Donovan to feisty entrepreneur Nancy Dell'Olio all alongside their dance partners from the smash hit BBC1 show.
Lots of variation and rhythmic pulses required for this to get those sparkly, sequined dancers inspired and in the groove to give us their best performance. Judged live by Len, Bruno and their merry panel the audience get a chance to have a say via their mobile phones. What would we do without our trusty mobiles hey!
Bells, Percussion FX and Toms were supplied for this tour which was a hit in the ratings for the BBC when it aired throughout autumn 2011. Not to be missed!
Wednesday, 4 January, 2012
This month we ventured in to the liberal thinking man’s wonderland that is Holland to visit our good friends Majestic percussion. For those of you who aren’t aware, Majestic are an internationally renowned supplier of top class professional marching and orchestral instruments as well as stocking a very competitive range of student options with everything in between.
They have come a long way from their humble beginnings back in 1921 to becoming one of the world’s must have instrument manufacturers.
If you haven’t considered a Majestic instrument before, we strongly advise you to take them into consideration. Their attention to detail and drive for customer satisfaction stand them head and shoulders above the rest. We went out to meet/greet and pick up a truck load of goodies.
We’d like to take this opportunity to thank them for their hospitality and hope to see them again soon.
Wednesday, 21 December, 2011
A very special 80" Tam Tam was required for a very special day and a complete one-off not unlike Russian composer Sofia Gubaidulina, which out of sheer coincidence is her eightieth birthday, that's an inch for every year!
The LSO celebrated the occasion with a series of events at the Barbican and St Lukes which included an informal lunchtime concert presented by Rachel Leach with LSO principals David Alberman and Tim Hugh performing Gubaidulina's duo 'Rejoice' for violin and cello.
Also as part of the events was an open rehearsal for Gubaidulina’s In tempus praesens with violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, as well as Shostakovich’s Symphony No 10. Unlike other Open Rehearsals audience members had the opportunity to observe the conductor and Orchestra from the Stalls, giving a unique and more intimate insight into the workings of an LSO rehearsal.
Wednesday, 14 December, 2011
As part of a program featuring two of the world’s leading choreographers and one fast-rising star the Royal Ballet came together for some brilliant perfomances in contemporary dance.
We supplied some percussion for the final piece by Wayne McGregor resident choreographer of The Royal Ballet. Each year he has pushed the boundaries of dance, with the virtuoso technique of the Company as just a starting point for his fascinating and award-winning inventive collaborations. With pop and fashion as the theme, McGregor joined forces with Gareth Pugh, Mark Ronson and guest artists.
It was a fitting end for a programme that draws the classical and contemporary together in an explosion of today’s brightest talents.
Thursday, 8 December, 2011
Who has the fastest hands in London? This is something we were mulling over recently and so we decided to run a competition to find out with the help of our friends from across the Atlantic WFD.
Ed Freitas the main man that runs all of the official events in the UK and across Europe came in on the finals day to offer his adjudicating expertise to full effect.
A very worthy winner was found in the shape of Luke Harrison who is now proud owner of a very lush Sonor Jungle kit. We'd like to thank Boo McAfee and Ed Freitas of WFD and everybody that took part making the event a very enjoyable success. Keep your ears to the ground for details of future WFD events
Thursday, 3 November, 2011
Peter Gabriel’s stunning performance with the New Blood Orchestra on Jools Holland’s Later proved to be very inspirational on the night.
He's been described as a cultural innovator and this perfomance sees him reinventing his back catalogue classics like Solsbury Hill with the striking arrangements of the 46-piece Orchestra as featured on his latest album 'New Blood'.
The songs included here are a snapshot of his career to date including the powerful horns/strings led “Rhythm Of The Heat”, the exquisite “Downside Up” (with additional vocals from his daughter Melanie) and the energising pulse of “Solsbury Hill” with its gloriously majestic trumpet counter melody as a finale.
We provided a celeste for this performance which I'm sure will go down as a pivotal moment in his career.
Thursday, 3 November, 2011
I love Roald Dahl's short stories and novels. I love his style of storytelling that takes you on a journey into the unknown generally with unexpected twists and turns. I also love the fact we got to supply a whole host of percussion for this much acclaimed production.
Roald Dahl’s “Matilda” tells the story of the title character – a girl that has been blessed with extraordinary intellect from an early age. Having read all of the books in her house before the age of 5 she proceeds to the local library and reads all the children’s books there, before moving on to school where her intellect continues to give her advantages and disadvantages. Then she discovers another gift – psychokinetic powers – which she is able to use to punish all of those that deserve it.
After wowing audiences at the Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon “Matilda the Musical” is now running in the West End at the Cambridge Theatre courtesy of The Royal Shakespeare Company.
Friday, 21 October, 2011
Wisdom and inspiration all in one evening courtesy of Ralph Salmins and Andy Leask. Ralph’s versatility and groove have established him as drummer of choice for producers and composers worldwide and this evening showed us why he's so popular on the session circuit. His honest and open approach to his playing was inspiring in itself on the night providing us all with some very valuable lessons.
Andy's Moeller class was awesome, challenging and educational. In this masterclass he worked on the basics of the Moeller Method whilst breaking down and demystify this often misunderstood technique. Andy is one of the most sought after teachers in the business and has helped some great players become even greater.
Wednesday, 19 October, 2011
Kenny visited Bell last month to show us how he managed to play with the likes of The Smashing Pumpkins, Jon Bon Jovi, Elton John, Bob Dylan, Rod Stewart, Alanis Morissette, The Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Willie Nelson, Joe Cocker, B. B. King, Mick Jagger, Ray Charles, Alice Cooper, Meat Loaf, Santana, Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle, The Buddy Rich Big Band and many others.
With a style of playing that combines power and finesse, Kenny was named the #1 Pop/Rock Drummer and the #1 Studio Drummer for five consecutive years by the readers of Modern Drummer Magazine, and in addition has played on over 30 Grammy-nominated recordings. A great turnout made for a terrific evening full of inspirational insight, advice, playing tips and playing from the busiest man in drum land!
Wednesday, 12 October, 2011
The American Idol winner, who rose to fame nearly ten years ago, took charge of the stage and performed her single Mr. Know It All on the X Factor UK.
Not satisfied with just one drummer she decided to have a whole plethora of them banging out the beat in true marching band style. A whole load gear was needed for this gorgeous performance.
Here's her after show tweet: I just had such a fun time on X Factor in London!! Thank you to all of the "Extreme Rhythm" drummers, my band, and the production team! What a fun performance! All of the judges and the contestants I met were so sweet. I wish good luck to all of you!
"Oooh, we like the drumming!" One fan was heard saying after the show.
Tuesday, 4 October, 2011
Angry Birds, Super Mario Bros and Tetris are about to go classical in a new concert and recording by the London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO).
Composer Andrew Skeet, who's worked on movies like Ridley Scott's Robin Hood and Garth Jennings' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, is the conductor for the medley of video game themes, which was part of the Vision Sound Music festival at London's Southbank Centre.
The orchestra will also be playing music from games like Metal Gear Solid, Legend of Zelda and Final Fantasy, so get those joy pads out and rock along with the LPO!
Tuesday, 20 September, 2011
Nominated this year for their album 'Man Alive' the Manchester based band gave an inspired performance on the night but missed out to PJ Harvey. Expect big things from these guys in 2012.
Thursday, 8 September, 2011
The BBC Symphony Orchestra closed the proms season with a rousing evening of classical greats. From Elgar, Wagner and Chopin to Rule britannia and the National Anthem. Flags were flying and spirits raised as the Albert Hall completes another eventfull season. Until next year!
Thursday, 18 August, 2011
As thousands flocked to the grand opening of the £1.45bn complex, John Lewis opened its doors to the sound of music. Based right in the heart of Europes largest urban shopping centre (not to mention the Olympic village) the orchestra brought ceremony to the stores first day of trading.
Wednesday, 10 August, 2011
Fireworks are never far away when Gustavo (the Dude) Dudamel takes the baton in front of the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra.
The ensemble is formed from pupils of Venezuela's El Sistema programme, an initiative that offers every child a free musical education, and the players have been performing together since childhood.
It is appropriate that their second visit should be for Mahler's Second Symphony. Not because the work is about the second coming, but because it is rooted in the sublimated theatricality on which the orchestra thrives.
Lots of percussion was supplied for this amazing performance including bass drums and gongs.
Tuesday, 2 August, 2011
Symphonica will be a new musical direction for George, fulfilling a long-cherished artistic ambition and a significant cultural exchange, not least since many of the concerts will take place in specially selected venues - the first time George has played such settings - in countries including Denmark, Switzerland, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Ireland and the UK.
According to organisers, the tour will see Michael perform "a carefully chosen selection of his songs", as well as "some of his favourite songs from other artists".
We recently had the privilege of supplying some percussion for the percussionist currently performing on this tour and will include 12 dates in the UK at the end of October.
Tuesday, 26 July, 2011
Getting an 80" Gong and 60" Taiko Drum around Europe plus other major bits of percussion is a major feat in itself, but that's not all these magical people managed to pull off.
Israeli-born, British-based Shechter is composer and choreographer. His focus this time is the uneasy subjects of war, terrorism and political resistance, which are rarely tackled by any of the arts let alone dance.
Bringing the atmosphere of a rock concert, and brimming with the gritty and emotional complexity of Shechter's extraordinary dance work, Political Mother: The Choreographer's Cut gives audiences an experience like no other.
The Metro descibed it as a howling beast of a dance show, a take-no-prisoners assault on the senses that beats the drum for dance as a dirty punch in the guts. It will leave you reeling. Intense!
Thursday, 21 July, 2011
For an entire day the RCM resounded to the sound of drums, cymbals, marimbas and literally anything these talented percussionists could lay their hands/sticks/beaters on.
The day included an incredible line-up of percussive related guests including drum legend Peter Erskine, the complete timpani and percussion sections of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, international marimba soloist Daniella Ganeva and West End drummer Dave Adams.
Presented in association with the Percussive Arts Society we were more than happy to support this prestigious event in the name of percussion.
Tuesday, 12 July, 2011
Who's up for a picnic in the park?
Kenwood house was the ideal location for a beautiful summers day of food, wine and classical music as served up by the incredible Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra.
The day was presented by Aled Jones and included an evening of stirring classical master-pieces performed by the celebrated RPO and climaxing with a stunning fireworks display.
Friday, 17 June, 2011
It's not every year you turn 20, so on the 25th June we decided to host a day of celebration with some very special one-off deals, BBQ and fun. We had a riotus time hosting World's Fastest Drummer, more of that later on in the year, and some lucky customers went away extremely happy tightly gripping their purchases.
We'd like to take this opportunity to express our thanks to all the people that turned up on the day, messages from customers that couldn't be there and the manufacturers that participated in the event making it a very successful day indeed. A big thank you to everyone. Here's to the next 20!
Wednesday, 15 June, 2011
Simply put John Barry was a legend. He influenced and inspired about as many influential people in the music world as anyone could hope to touch. Five-time Oscar winning composer John Barry was one of the most celebrated film composers of his generation, he scored more than 125 films over the course of his career.
This one-off memorial concert, co-produced by his widow Laurie and long-time Barry devotee David Arnold, featured his scores, meticulously recreated by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. It was a fittingly magnificent tribute and we fittingly supplied percussion for the event.
Thursday, 9 June, 2011
Fela Kuti, whose blend of jazz, funk and African rhythms ignited a generation. Combining dance, theatre and music, FELA! reveals Kuti’s controversial life as an artist and political activist in rousing fashion.
Motivated by his mother, a civil rights champion, he defied a corrupt and oppressive military government and devoted his life and music to the struggle for freedom and human dignity.
Produced by Will Smith and Jay Z this is sure to be a massive hit when it opens here in July. We supplied a whole host of percussion for the show including backline amplification and keyboards.
Opens at Sadler's Wells 20th July for 6 weeks only.
Friday, 27 May, 2011
Pulp are back and they're here to rock our world all over again. With classics such as Common People, Help The Aged and Disco 2000 in their back catalogue how could they disappoint. The gigs will be their first performances in 15 years having last been on stage together in August 1996. They will play several gigs next summer in their original line-up of Nick Banks, Jarvis Cocker, Candida Doyle, Steve Mackey, Russell Senior and Mark Webber. "I want the biggest one they've got!" said Jarvis apparently, which is where we fit in the picture. He is of course talking Bass Drums and they happily took our 36 incher. Can't wait to see them perform with it in Hyde Park!
Friday, 20 May, 2011
The best ingredients are key to success in any great recipe and music is no different. The best equals the best even the gong we supplied introducing each course has to simply hit the spot.
The Great British menu is a hard fought for prestigeous BBC event in which the best of the best chefs from all around the UK compete against each other to win the ultimate prize of cooking at a special one off event. All courses were tasted and judged by Prue Leith, Matthew Fort and Oliver Peyton, how do they get through so much food?
The theme for this particular series was sharing and communities, with chefs being asked to cook food that encourages people to come together to enjoy food and simply share. The chefs to cook this year were Chris Fearon, Aktar Islam, Tom Kerridge and Paul Ainsworth. Wonderful!
Thursday, 12 May, 2011
Steve Reich was the guest of honor at the Barbican in London for Reverberations, a weekend-long music marathon of pioneering music celebrating his 75th birth year and exploring his music and influence on generations of composers and musicians.
Repeating patterns, often hammered out on marimbas and drums, are at the root of Reich’s style. The weekend kicked off with Music for Pieces of Wood. Five players, five pitches, five wooden dowels and hammers, music of simple means and simple intoxication.
Having been involved in this festival in it's various guises over the years we were very proud to be a part of it again this time around.
Wednesday, 4 May, 2011
The eagerly anticipated very very last one in the series. Eyes will be red, because tears will be shed, the wait is nearly over for all those Harry Potter Fans worldwide.
The end begins as Harry, Ron, and Hermione go back to Hogwarts to find and destroy Voldemort's final horcruxes, but when Voldemort finds out about their mission, the biggest battle begins and life as they know it will never be the same again.
They pulled out all the big boys for this one think big Taiko drums and Bells, lots of them. This could be one of the biggest summer blockbuster films of the year!
Tuesday, 26 April, 2011
Mass celebration anyone?
It's something when you get asked to overhaul timpani heads for possibly one of the biggest days in some peoples lives to be comemorated, remembered and never to be forgotten.
The Prime Minister is urging everyone to go and have fun on this day of mass celebration so whether your having a party in your street or not let's raise a glass to the lovely couple. This day folks will go down history it's huge!
Thursday, 21 April, 2011
As founder and former drummer of the Police, Stewart Copeland is familiar with adrenaline rushes and things that go “thump,” just like the hero of his “The Tell-Tale Heart” at the Royal Opera House in London.
The new one-act opera is based on Edgar Allan Poe’s gothic tale of 1843. A murderer believes he can hear the beating heart of his victim under the floorboards. It drives him wild, and eventually he shrieks to the police “I admit the deed! It is the beating of his hideous heart!”
Talking of things that go thump a Tama Gong drum was the order of the day here, it's not every day we asked for one of those but we obliged as usual.
Tuesday, 19 April, 2011
As always it really nice to be invloved supplying percussion for film soundtracks especially ones so close to our hearts such as Kung Fu Panda.
Po joins forces with a group of new kung-fu masters to take on an old enemy with a deadly new weapon. The sequel will follow Po, the world's biggest kung fu fan, as he continues his journey as the chosen one who fulfills an ancient prophesy while mastering the art of kung fu.
The technicolor dream is now being lived with our celeste at the helm!
Tuesday, 12 April, 2011
Russell Watson has won two Classical BRIT Awards, recorded two Double Platinum, one Platinum and two Gold albums and sold over seven million records worldwide.
Returning with a stronger, more driven and powerful voice, Russell’s renditions of Pino Donaggio’s Io Che Non Vivo (Senza Te), Mario Lanza’s Arrivederci Roma and Parla Piu Piano (the theme from The Godfather) are nothing less than astounding, helped on obviously with our tried and trusted percussion.
Accompanied by an accomplished orchestra, this is set to be an exciting show.
Tuesday, 29 March, 2011
For one emotional night, a group of children living in a slum in Mumbai, India, get a chance to experience a different world as they perform The Sound of Music with a classical orchestra, fostering hopes that it could change their lives.Recruiting kids from the slums – home to half the city’s population – the Orchestra sets out to stage a choral performance of the Rogers & Hammerstein score.We got asked to supply some instruments for a recording at Abbey Road for this very worthy and heart wrenching musical. We're always happy to support wherever possible.
Thursday, 24 March, 2011
This exciting mix of live music and images from around the world helps illustrate the many different aspects of geography, science and weather that make up the world in which we live. Presented by TV's Matt Baker and with a guest appearance by Nina from Nina and the Neurons, the 75 piece BBC SSO performs excerpts from Holst's Planet's, Gershwin's An American in Paris, Debussy's La Mer, alongside excerpts from Life on Earth, Blue Planet and Planet Earth. We supplied Taxi Horn's for the much loved Gershwin's An American in Paris which had them all blown away.
Wednesday, 16 March, 2011
Adapted from Alan Bennett and Malcolm Mowbray's hilarious comic film ‘A Private Function’; a tale that centres around Betty, an adorable pig who is being illegally reared to ensure that the local dignitaries can celebrate the forthcoming Royal Wedding with a lavish banquet while everyone else makes do with Spam.{C}Luckily the rationing didn't extend to the percussion, like a pig in mud we happily supplied the pit with all it's needs. This utterly British musical, full of eccentric characters, has a deliciously witty score by Stiles and Drewe and a marvellous cast of great British actors, headed by Sarah Lancashire as Joyce, Reece Shearsmith as Gilbert and, of course, Betty as Herself.
Friday, 4 March, 2011
Dedicated to showcasing the best in educational resources and suppliers, the Education Show enables thousands of practitioners to gain inspiration, enhance their knowledge through seminars and see the latest innovations in the education market.
We sent our very own David Officer and John Henry over to this show with a whole bunch percussion to get the rhythmic fires burning in Brum.
A sweet and rhythmic storm was created by all!
Friday, 18 February, 2011
Follow the yellow brick road over the rainbow to see Danielle Hope, winner of BBC TV’s Over the Rainbow, play Dorothy at The London Palladium, the capital’s home of the family musical.
Developed from the ever popular MGM screenplay this new production contains all the much-loved songs from the Oscar winning movie score, all the favourite characters and iconic moments, plus a few surprises along the way, including new songs by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.
The list of percussion we supplied is as long as the yellow brick road and almost as magical. We're off to see the wizard the wonderful wizard of Oz, ba boom! Opens March 1st.
Wednesday, 9 February, 2011
The Royal Opera House (ROH) is to stage the world premiere of an opera about the life of former Playboy model Anna Nicole Smith, who tragically died in 2007.
Anna Nicole premiered at the Covent Garden venue on 17 February 2011 with Dutch soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek in the lead role.
Mark-Anthony Turnage, the Opera's composer, has described it as "quite a hybrid." Mixing references from Jazz, Soul and Broadway Musicals it utilizes the extensive talents of Jazz druming great Peter Erskine.
Thursday, 3 February, 2011
Formed from the ranks of the legendary Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra, the Venezuelan Brass Ensemble sweeps audiences away with the passion and exuberance of its performances.
We supplied them with the percussion to stoke their natural musical fire as stated here in one review.
"By the time we reached the encores some of the brass players had shifted over to play percussion, another group had stripped off their jackets to form a rollicking band of drummers, and one brave trumpeter had grabbed a microphone and was leading the audience in communal singing. This joyous scene could only have hailed from Venezuela."
Sounds like they had a blast!
Tuesday, 25 January, 2011
The very lovely Natasha Khan aka 'Bat for Lashes', required a Celeste for a recent performance at the Center Point building in London.
She's a very rare creature who is totally captivating when she's immersed in song and for the lucky few at this special one-off live performance a very special treat.
Having provided us with 2 extremely individual albums so far in the shape of 'Fur and Gold' and 'Two Suns', we're waitng with bated breath for the 3rd installment which hopefully will come at some point this year.
Wednesday, 12 January, 2011
The New Year's Day Parade London, is generally recognised as the best event of its kind in the world, it also sets the standards for everything else that Destination Events do.
This spectacular annual event in the heart of the city, enjoys a streetside audience of around a million people, along with extensive worldwide media coverage. Each year, Londoners and visitors to the capital are treated to a performance extravaganza involving thousands of performers from all over the globe.
This year we we're asked to supply a whole range of Orchestral Percussion including Timpani and Bass Drums.
Tuesday, 4 January, 2011
Olly the 25 year old ex-office worker from Essex who, before the X Factor, spent his working time giving people energy advice.
In a simple twist of fate Olly was pipped at the post earning 2nd place in 2009's X Factor. This hasn't stopped his rise to stardom charting singles at number 1 and 4 respectivily.
He recently required a Tama Hyperdrive from us for a TV performance. He will embark on a UK wide tour in 2011 starting 29 April and ending on 3 June.
